Catamenial bandage.



No. 849,725 PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

M. A. COOK. CATAMENIAL BANDAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1906.

a I I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CATAMENIAL BAN DAGE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY A. CooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Catamenial Bandage, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bandages of the type used by women at certain periods, and has for its object the provision of im roved means which will render changes int e diaper to be easily and quickly made, all of which will be set forth more clearly hereinafter.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a completed bandage embodyin my improvements; Fig. 2 a detail elevation of the rear portion of the device with one end of the shield turned out and Fi 3 is a detail edge view, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, of an end portion of the bandage, showing its connection to the supportin parts.

Siml ar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the views.

The waistband is shown as provided with two buckles 11 for convenience in mop erly adjusting it to the size desired and with a fronttab 12 and a rear tab 13. As there is a buckl at each side, adjustments may, be made in the size of the waistband and still have the/tabs properly spaced to permit of their being worn exactly at the front and rear.

From the lower edge of each tab depend two straps 14, preferably elastic and with slides or buckles 15 to adjust their length.

The lower ends of each pair of straps 14 are sewed to a double strip of suitable strong fabric 16, having eyelets 17 and stiffened by a,

cross-stay 29. The portions of the device so far described may be worn Without adjustment or removal for such length of time as desired. The bandage proper, however, requires frequent changing, and my improvements are designed mainly to facilitate the proper connection of the bandage in exactly the correct manner for comfort and utility.

In many devices of this character heretofore produced provision has not been made for insuring just the correct aplpllication of the bandage easily and quic y. To attain these objects, I provide a holder for each end of the bandage, the two holders to be removed with the bandage and to have a fresh bandage connected with them while re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filedIJune 23. 1906- Serial Nb.823,056.

Patented April 9, 1907.

moved from the person, after which the holders and the bandage carried thereby may be quickly and properly connected to the strips 16.

Each holder comprises two tabs 18, of suitably strong fabric, united at their u per portions and provided with eyelets 19, a apted to register with the eyelets. 17, so that a safety-pin 20 can be em loyed to fasten each holder 111 place, the eye ets serving to guide the point of the pin and insure correct relative positions of the parts when connected. Moreover, said eyelets increase .the durability of the device, for, as well known, fre uent driving of a pin throu hfabric ten s to weaken it; also, the eye ets strengthen the connection, for there is no possibility of the fabric pullin away from the pin, so as to permit the bancfage to drop at elther end.

The bandage 21 may be of folded cloth, absorbent cotton,paper, or any material suit able for the purposes Each end is inserted between the two tabs of a holder, the said tabs being preferably formed with eyelets 22 for the safety-pin 23, which secures the bandage between said tabs. The eyelets 22 serve the same purposes as above described in connection with the eyelets 17 and 19. It will now be understood that the bandage can be removed without touching it, for onlythe upper ends of the two holders and the safetyins 20 need be handled. The removal of the olders from the used bandage can then be neatly accomplished and a fresh one substituted for it and the holders reattached to the strips 16.

A shield or rotecting-strip is referably employed for the bandage, said s 'eld comprising a strip 24 of pure rubber having its' edges made relatively'inelastic in any suitab e manner, as at 25, and its ends reinforced by waterproof facings, as 26. As convenient means for connecting the shield in place I employ studs 27, rojecting from the outer tab 18 of each hcl er, and 006 eratin socket members 28, attached to t e re' orcingstrip 26 at each end of the shield. The shield not onl acts as a protecting-strip, but also as a poc et, which aids in keeping the bandage in its proper osition. This is because the relatively ine astic bindings 25 prevent the shield from stretching-as a whole, while the body 24, being of rubber, will yield, so as to rovide a hammock-she. ed pocket that will lleep the bandage from s ip ing laterally relatively to the shield. he said shield can be quickly disconnected from the IlO holders when it is desired to clean it and then replaced by means of the stud-and-socket fasteners described.

Having now described my invention, I claim- A catemenial' appliance comprising a Waistband, two holders removehly connected therewith, each holder having two tabs,.

means for removably connecting a bandage to the holders with itsends clamped between the tabs thereof, and a shield having its ends removebly connected to the outer talus of the holders, the construction stated enabling the holders, bandage, and shield to be removed from the Waistband as a whole and then dis- [5 connected, said shield comprising a strip, of rubber having its edges rendered relatively inelastic whereby its central portion may yield to form a pocket to receive and retain the main portion of the bandage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature ..in presence of two witnesses.

MARY A. COOK. Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

